Puffin Stuff on the Isle of Canna

Part 1

The thing about taking photographs when you visit Scotland is that they are all beautiful, and choosing which ones to share becomes impossible. When we planned our trip to the Isle of Skye, I made sure to include a boat trip to one of the islands where Atlantic Puffins nest, because neither of us had seen one in person before. It was one of the highlights of the entire vacation. The Puffins were wonderful, as were the skua, Eiders, and dolphins, but my favorite photo of this large Grey Seal and a European Shag.

The photo captures the craggy desolation and the vibrant green of the Western Highlands. Shags are large heron-like birds whose black feathers can resemble dragon scales; the Grey Seal’s mottled coat is excellent camouflage on the lichen and barnacle-spotted rocks. The puffins are tuxedoed sea parrots who waddle like tropical birds moonlighting as butlers for the idle gentry, but they are just as much a part of the landscape as the draconic shags and dapplied, hangdog seals.

I winnowed my photos from this trip down to 83 from over a thousand. Most of the better photos were taken at the tail end of the trip, after the initial, trigger-happy excitement wore off. (Because of the size of this post, I recommend clicking the title to read it on Substack instead of your email reader.) We met the Puffins on the water, after several run-ins with large porpoises and a distant minke whale. On the water, on a moving small boat, they are extremely difficult to photograph. Later, as we floated past the island nesting sites on calmer waters, I was able to use the 600mm zoom lens of my Sony Cybershot RX-10 to take the above pictures, and still have plenty of time to admire the birds through binoculars.

Aside from the puffins, the shags were my favorite. Big and bold. The skuas aren’t tiny, and here’s one for scale. We managed to spot a shag nest where the nester was either hungry or being dramatic.

The resemblance of the wing feathers to scales is quite striking. The shag, if I recall, is an older species that didn’t evolve waterproof feathers, so they often are seen spreading their wings to dry. They dive for food such as sand eels, which live on the bottom, and can dive as much as 200 feet.

The Common Murres were tough to photograph because of their striking black and white plumage, with no bright orange beak to set things off. I like this picture of the island cliff, as it gives a sense of scale.

The other birds we saw were Kittiwakes, Eider Ducks (my first!), Oystercatchers, Great Skuas, Great Black-backed Gulls, and a Razorbill. The Eider Ducks were a treat because I’d read about them in Rock & Hawk for a long time, and learned to appreciate these tough seabirds who roll with the waves on rocky shores. I didn’t manage very good pictures of them, but it was nice to see them when we landed on Canna for a short break.

The trip might as well take a whole day; the drive from Port Righ to Elgol takes nearly an hour, down the twisty single lane roads full of tourists unfamiliar with the turnoff points. Our boat arrived late with one dead engine, and rather than cancel our trip, our group decided to have a shorter one, as we’d be at half speed. It takes you some time to suit up in the protective gear they want you to wear against the cold weather, as well. Elgol isn’t far from the Talisker Distillery, so you can stop there for a few drams of their fine whisky before heading back to town.

I’m about halfway through the photos I want to share, and I’ll make another post next week, with the Razorbill and lots more puffins in flight. I have a friend visiting, and we must cherish these simple things during these turbulent and uncertain times. So, I’m going to get bagels before my guest awakes…